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From the moment you step off the plane here in the U.S. capital, you can sense the angst that is suffocating this city amid concerns the country is about to plunge over the fiscal cliff.

Of course, should the Cowboys turn in their usual flop job in nearby Landover on Sunday night at the grass-stained hands of the rival Redskins, their legion of loyal fans might consider jumping off a real cliff.

Any confidence coming out of Cowboys Nation these days is offset by a deep trepidation, an understandable vibe when you consider that this team has been in this exact situation twice in the past four years and has been humiliated each time.

The Cowboys themselves insist this time could be different. They claim they have learned from past mistakes. They are steadfast in their vow that they believe in themselves.

But do you?

While the worldwide popularity of the Cowboys can not be questioned, the public’s lingering doubts are evident on message boards on the Web, where various pools have been set up ranging from correctly selecting how many picks Tony Romo will throw to what double-digit margin Dallas will lose by.

Cowboys tight end Jason Witten understands only too well the skepticism that looms like a dark cloud over his team heading into Sunday’s win-or-go-home showdown with RG3’s Redskins.

According to Witten, the team’s crumble-when-it-counts image can change if his squad can alter history here instead of just following it.

“It’s hard to get in this situation and play for a division title,” Witten, who set a single-season NFL record for receptions by a tight end with 103, told reporters in Dallas.

“It’s a great opportunity for us. Hopefully, those past experiences have helped develop us so we can be better in this situation. But it’s a different experience, obviously a different opponent, and it’s going to be a tough challenge.

The Cowboys have been here before. In 2008 against the Eagles. In 2011 versus the Giants. They are no strangers to these “win-and-get-in” situations.

Trouble is, they couldn’t “get in” either time. Not even close. They lost those two contests by a cumulative 75-20 margin.

On Dec. 28, 2008, the 9-6 Cowboys marched into Lincoln Financial Field knowing that a victory over the 8-6-1 Eagles would clinch a playoff berth. Instead the Eagles reeled off 41 unanswered points in a 44-6 beatdown of the Cowboys, an embarrassing loss that featured five Dallas turnovers.

On New Years Day 2012 the door once again was open for 8-7 Dallas to get into the post-season with a win, this time at MetLife Stadium against the 8-7 Giants. This time it was the fierce New York pass rush that proved to be the undoing of Dallas, sacking Romo six times en route to a 31-14 Giants victory.

Now here the Cowboys are again, getting set to smash helmets with their most storied rivals just a short Sunday drive away from the White House, knowing all the while that a victory Sunday will change the perception of the team, the momentum inside the locker room and, most importantly, lock up a home playoff date for next weekend.

The Cowboys biggest Achilles heel heading into the Fracas at FedEx involves the defence, a unit that is missing five of its 11 opening day starters: Defensive end Kenyon Coleman, nose tackle Jay Ratliff, inside linebackers Bruce Carter and Sean Lee, and safety Barry Church. All-world linebacker DeMarcus Ware is banged up as well.

At the same time, don’t take these Cowboys lightly. If the Redskins do, they might be sorry.

This Dallas team should not be underestimated, especially offensively. Romo has been brilliant, tossing 17 TDs and just three interceptions in his past eight games, while running back DeMarco Murray can be a game-changer when he isn’t coughing up the ball.

These Cowboys don’t care about the past. They don’t want to hear about how they have lost 10 of their 12 regular season finales since 2000, the worst such record in the NFL.

But if they don’t beat the Redskins, they definitely will be reminded of those things, like it or not. After all, to use Witten’s words, it would be “the same old story.”

WARE & TEAR

DeMarcus Ware is wearing down.

In news that must have sounded like sweet music to the ears of Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, the Cowboys all-world linebacker will have his playing time limited while he deals with a brace on his injured right shoulder during Sunday night’s one-game showdown for the NFC East title.

The brace will hinder the possibility of Ware’s shoulder popping out whenever he thrusts his arm forward. He also will wear a second brace on his right arm to aid his hyper-extended right elbow.

“I know DeMarcus will play his heart out when he’s out there and we’ll just see how much he’s able to give us,” Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan told reporters in Dallas on Friday.

The Cowboys sacked RG3 three times during a 38-31 loss to the Redskins in Texas on the U.S. Thanksgiving.

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Can Dallas Cowboys get it done this time?

From the moment you step off the plane here in the U.S. capital, you can sense the angst that is suffocating this city amid concerns the country is about to plunge over the fiscal cliff.

Of course, should the Cowboys turn in their usual flop job in nearby Landover on Sunday night at the grass-stained hands of the rival Redskins, their legion of loyal fans might consider jumping off a real cliff.

Any confidence coming out of Cowboys Nation these days is offset by a deep trepidation, an understandable vibe when you consider that this team has been in this exact situation twice in the past four years and has been humiliated each time.

The Cowboys themselves insist this time could be different. They claim they have learned from past mistakes. They are steadfast in their vow that they believe in themselves.